


Perhaps

by Charlesleesbutt



Category: Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 - Malloy, Voyná i mir | War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Anatole works at LUSH lmao, Did you spot the Balagua/Balagagua/whatever that ship is called???? ;), Flirting, I just really love DAnatole oh my gosh, M/M, Masturbation, Modern AU, Pining, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2018-11-20 13:39:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11336631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charlesleesbutt/pseuds/Charlesleesbutt
Summary: Modern AU in which Anatole and Dolokhov are roommates sharing an apartment after college. The two have been inseparable friends for ages but now Dolokhov is finally starting to come to terms with the fact that he has feelings for Anatole beyond friendship.Somewhat based off of a prompt that I once saw.





	1. Chapter 1

Fedya Dolokhov was Anatole Kuragin’s friend. Correction, Fedya Dolokhov was Anatole Kuragin’s _best_ friend. That much he knew for sure. The two had been inseparable ever since childhood, taking much enjoyment from accompanying each other on boisterous outings or even simple nights in. With that said, it was obvious and probably inevitable that they decided to live as roommates even after college. Dolokhov was the only person that Anatole felt comfortable telling everything to, other than his sister Hélène. The same could be said for Dolokhov, who felt surprisingly comfortable around Anatole as well as Hélène. Thus, the two moved in together...as friends. Which was the part that confused Dolokhov. 

They were certainly friends, but sometimes their relationship crossed the border into something more. Something, unspoken. The two were known for being enormous flirts, Anatole slightly more so than Dolokhov, so it was not uncommon to find them teasing or flirting with each other. Caresses, lingering touches, and even quick kisses were not out of place either. Yet, the two were not exclusively “an item”; both freely pursued other partners as they pleased. To be fair, a lot of the more intimate moments between Anatole and Dolokhov tended to happen during their frequent states of intoxication thanks to liquor so perhaps an excuse might be made here. Still, Dolokhov had grown increasingly more confused by the nature of it all. 

Not that he minded. No, that wasn’t the problem at all. The problem was, that he was starting to enjoy these brief moments of intimacy more than he should. Most likely more than Anatole did. For Dolokhov knew that Anatole was unlikely to be tamed. Anatole flirted with _everyone_ , so why would his moments with Dolokhov in particular be any more important to him? Their friendship was certainly a unique one and Dolokhov wondered if it would continue this way for the rest of their lives. No matter how close they were, Dolokhov could never bring himself to inquire about such matters to Anatole; there was always the fear that he would ruin or somehow unpleasantly alter their friendship. Still, there was also the presence of a yearning for something more in the back of his mind that was making his confusion increasingly difficult to ignore. It was like a small spark inside of him that Anatole was unknowingly and annoyingly fanning into a much greater flame. Thanks to the sheer nature of their friendship, Dolokhov himself hadn’t even picked up on this until rather recently. 

Admittedly, he had started to pay slightly closer attention to Anatole’s increased affections, and just Anatole in general. The way his lips curled into that familiar and mischievous grin. The way his long, feminine lashes resembled fields of wheat illuminated by dawn’s first light. The way his perfect golden hair seemed to reach up to the heavens.

Fuck. He really did have it bad. Dolokhov had it worse than he was willing to admit. Still, it was important to be perceptive. If Anatole was just being, well, Anatole, then there was no cause for alarm. But, if the frequency of his advances were for some other reason, then it was important to stay on his toes. Dolokhov had witnessed Anatole’s romantic pursuits countless times in the past and knew his advances were typically playful yet straightforward. Again, they had been such good friends for so long that any action performed in this manner towards him had always been taken as Anatole just being Anatole, his closest _friend_ , and nothing more. God he was reading way too into this. It was probably better to forget the whole thing and move on with life. What they had going was good and the last thing that Dolokhov wanted was to make things awkward, especially when sharing such a small living space. Anatole just made himself too goddamn easy to love.

Dolokhov had been sitting on the sofa in the living room of their apartment, attempting to read a book before his wandering thoughts decided to occupy his consciousness. Even further, his thoughts were what caused him to steal a quick glance at the man seated in a lounge chair on the other side of the room. Anatole seemed to be occupied with something on his phone at present, so Dolokhov permitted himself a longer look. Anatole Kuragin was as devilishly handsome as always. Despite their extensive history, there were still times at which Dolokhov was quite taken aback by Anatole’s looks and charisma; even when he was just mundanely scrolling through his phone, Anatole’s sheer presence never failed to electrify the room. He somehow performed ordinary tasks with such a particular grace that one might mistake him for royalty or a deity of some sort. Maybe he was. Nevertheless, Anatole was much more pleasing for Dolokhov to look at than his hardly entertaining book or the dreary storm brewing outside their window.

A sudden yet powerful roar of thunder threatened to bring Dolokhov back to reality. However, this certain bout of thunder happened to evoke a reaction from Anatole as well; it startled him just enough to look up from his phone long enough to notice Dolokhov’s stare. Embarrassed, Dolokhov immediately buried his nose back into his book. Fuck. How could he have let himself get caught? Knowing Anatole, he was not going to let this slide. He seemed to enjoy making a game of everything and anything when given the opportunity. Dolokhov didn’t dare to look up from his book, knowing that Anatole was probably grinning at him, waiting to make a snide comment. And yet, none came. Even after several minutes, Anatole remained quiet.

Dolokhov began to grow as equally suspicious as he was curious. Maybe Anatole hadn’t actually noticed? The room was rather dimly lit after all. Slowly, Dolokhov lowered his book to take a peak before directly locking eyes once again. Fuck. Had Anatole been staring at him that whole time!? Rather than hiding behind his book again like a blushing schoolgirl, Dolokhov decided to confront Anatole by keeping eye contact and quizzically raising an eyebrow.

Anatole spoke first, “Not enjoying your book, Fedya?”.

The mention of his name sent a slight tingle down Dolokhov's spine; not because it was unusual, but because of the way Anatole had said it. Playfully yet straightforward. Pronouncing the syllables perfectly, yet slightly slow, somewhat dreamlike.

“What? I’m still reading it aren't?” Dolokhov responded, shaking his book slightly in Anatole’s direction, as if to emphasize his point.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean that you're enjoying it.”

“I can assure you that I am.”

“Then tell me…” Anatole said, with a slight pause “...why haven't I seen you turn a page within the past ten minutes?”

Dolokhov felt his face flush a little as he searched his brain for some kind of way to respond. Of course Anatole had caught on. Whatever Dolokhov had wanted to say was stifled as Anatole took advantage of the situation.

“Distracted?” Anatole pressed further, raising his eyebrows slightly.

At this, Dolokhov let out a half laugh half sigh, but ultimately decided to play along. After recomposing himself and trying not to think about how Anatole had apparently been watching him for at least ten minutes, Dolokhov responded casually with “Perhaps”.  
He then turned his head to look out the window, raising his free hand to slightly stroke his beard as if in contemplation.

After a moment, Anatole let out a breath and got up from where he had been sitting. He then proceeded to stroll over to the large living room window of their apartment, where he crossed his arms and partially propped himself against it. Perhaps he wanted to see what Dolokhov had apparently been looking at. Perhaps he just didn’t like Dolokhov looking away from him, and wanted to make sure he was present in his line of sight. 

The large drops of rain splashed in uneven patterns against the glass, trickling down and creating unique trails. As Anatole gazed out the window, his face expressed slight annoyance at the poor weather. With Anatole in his direction of sight once again, Dolokhov’s eyes began to carefully wander over the blonde’s figure as it became slightly illuminated from the window’s natural light. Apparently Dolokhov had learned nothing from the prior incident, although, this time Anatole appeared to be presenting himself in a way. It was as if he were _asking_ Dolokhov to look while simultaneously ignoring him. Dolokhov knew that Anatole expected him to look. He also knew that Anatole _liked_ to be looked at.

And still, Dolokhov continued to observe the other man. His roommate. His friend. His _best_ friend. The exceptional beauty that he had the pleasure of living with...as friends. Anatole’s figure was so remarkably slender that he took on an androgynous quality that Dolokhov found to be ridiculously attractive. There was no use in restricting his own pining anymore. Especially not with Anatole literally right there, looking stunning. So he let his thoughts flow as they pleased, but of course still keeping them to himself.

When Dolokhov’s gaze made its way back up to Anatole’s face, they locked eyes once again and Dolokhov felt his heart skip a beat. Those sharp eyes seemed to cut straight through him. But not with malice. No, it was something else. Something that undoubtedly drove Dolokhov wild. Those eyes paired with the smirk forming on Anatole’s lips were practically hypnotizing.

Surprisingly, Anatole was the first to break eye contact, as he looked back towards the window.

“I suppose today isn’t the best night to go out thanks to this foul weather.” Anatole commented while gesturing towards the rain.

“Yes, I suppose so.” replied Dolokhov, unable to decipher the look on Anatole’s face or the tone of his voice. He wasn’t quite sure what Anatole wanted him to say.

Suddenly, Anatole pushed himself away from the window and began pacing his way towards where Dolokhov had been sitting. Dolokhov shot his roommate a puzzled look, but Anatole offered no reaction until he was right in front of the other man; Anatole looked down on Dolokhov through half-lidded eyes and with a ridiculously sexy grin stretched onto his face. A grin that Dolokhov either wanted to smack off this bastard’s smug face, or raise his own lips to meet it.  
In the midst of Dolokhov’s confusion, Anatole began to lean in, putting a knee on the couch to help balance himself and to get in closer. After getting over the initial shock of how close Anatole happened to be to him at this moment, Dolokhov found himself getting lost again within Anatole’s gorgeous eyes. He had almost expected Anatole to climb into his lap, and Dolokhov had to restrain himself from instinctively reaching out to grab Anatole by the waist to pull him in closer.  
Instead, Anatole was the one to reach out, putting a hand under Dolokhov’s bearded chin and grasping it slightly as if he were trying to get a really good look at all of his features. It wasn’t exactly what Dolokhov had expected, but sensual nonetheless. Hot enough to cause Dolokhov’s own face to heat up, a crimson blush invading his face.

“You know my dear Fedya, I've been thinking...” Anatole remarked, while staring straight back into Dolokhov’s eyes.

Trying his best to keep his outward cool, although he could feel himself starting to sweat, Dolokhov inquired, “Oh? About what?”, narrowing his own eyes at Anatole. As much as Anatole loved attempting to get a rise out of Dolokhov, Dolokhov loved playing along, but making him work for it. Which again, confused Dolokhov beyond all belief about what sort of ‘friendship’ they had. Did other friends act this way with each other? Probably not. Did Dolokhov care? Not really.

“...I’ve been thinking that I may know why you're so distracted right now” Anatole continued, releasing Dolokhov’s chin but not backing away. “And I've been thinking, that it's probably the same reason as to why I'm feeling so distracted myself.”

Anatole sure had a way with making everything sound sensual. If this wasn't enough on its own to get to Dolokhov, then the fact that Anatole was still so close was; his sweet smell was nearly intoxicating. He juggled the idea in his mind that if he wanted to, he could pull Anatole down onto the sofa with him. He could pull Anatole on top of him or he could even push him down and pull himself ontop instead. But he couldn't do that. Not yet. Even though the anticipation was nearly killing him, Dolokhov was determined to hear what Anatole had to say. It could be the answer that he had secretly been longing to hear for so very long. Longer than he even wanted to admit to himself.

Dolokhov was brought back to reality as he felt a hand grasp his thigh. His eyes started to instinctively look towards the hand when Anatole moved in even further, getting right up in Dolokhov’s face with a low hum.

“The reason why we're both so distracted is…” Anatole leaned in to the side of Dolokhov’s face so that he could whisper directly into his ear.

Dolokhov felt like he might explode right then and there. His heart threatened to leap out of his chest and his throat felt ridiculously dry. He was usually never so nervous and exhilarated at once. It was probably due to the fact that Anatole knew exactly how to turn him on, but Dolokhov was still unsure if he should reciprocate. Anatole’s warm breath tickling at his ear. Anatole’s slender fingers pressing his thigh. Anatole's body so unbelievably close. It was starting to become too much for Dolokhov to bear.

Anatole uttered the last few breathy words of his thought directly into Dolokhov’s ear: “...because...we're...hungry.”

Before Dolokhov could interpret that phrase fully, Anatole spoke a little louder, but still near his roommate’s ear: “I think we should order takeout.”

At this, Anatole pulled back a bit so that he could look at Dolokhov directly. “Better to make someone else bring us food in this weather than us having to get completely drenched.”

Dolokhov’s brain felt as if it had deflated. Searching Anatole's face for a level of seriousness, Dolokhov concluded that the blonde had been toying with him all along. Figures. His smirk easily gave off how satisfied he was feeling from being such a tease. That piece of shit. Now Dolokhov _really_ wanted to push him down onto the sofa.  
“Oh, for the love of-” Dolokhov huffed as he shoved Anatole away and grabbed a pillow from the couch, which he then proceeded to repeatedly hit the other man with. Anatole reacted with an eruption of laughter before plopping himself down on the sofa with Dolokhov, his arm resting casually across the top.

Dolokhov felt slightly pissed but then again he knew how Anatole was. Or, did he? He still couldn't shake the feeling that something between them was different.

Regardless, Anatole was right that he was hungry. It was probably for the best to forget this whole incident for now and focus on getting food, a task that proved to be more difficult that Dolokhov had expected; Anatole’s little jokes and teases were just too ridiculously attractive to Dolokhov. He couldn't help but want more. And now that he was currently more than just a little turned on, he would have to eat in awkward discomfort.

Dolokhov softly chuckled a bit to himself about his situation. He never thought himself to be a pining fool and yet, here he was, wrapped around Anatole Kuragin’s finger. Somehow I’ll get him back for teasing me so much, he thought. And the thought of that was enough for him to forgive Anatole...for now. Dolokhov still wanted something more. And until that moment came, if it ever did, he would continue to be Anatole’s _friend_ , and play his little games. But how much long could he keep this up before his desire completely consumed his sanity?

“Heh. You just didn't want to have to call in the order yourself, did you?” Dolokhov joked, before reaching for his phone from a nearby table.

“Ahh my dear Fedya, you know me too damn well!” Anatole laughed, giving Dolokhov a firm pat on the shoulder.

Dolokhov gave his friend an endearing grin, masking his sliver of internal melancholia. “I’ll call in our usual order then.”


	2. Chapter 2

Even with the rather interesting  _ experience _ of last night, the meal had been surprisingly mundane. The takeout had arrived and the two men casually conversed as they always did. As if nothing had happened. Had anything happened? Of course it had. Dolokhov distinctly remembered the ‘awkward discomfort’ afterwards. A better question would be, had anything happened for Anatole? Anatole had always pushed the boundaries of typical affection found in friendship,  _ their _ friendship in particular. So had it actually meant something to Anatole, or was he just acting how he did towards everyone. Everyone he liked anyways. At least Dolokhov knew that Anatole liked him. That wasn’t the issue here, nor was it one that he ever doubted. No, the issue was he didn’t know if Anatole  _ like _ liked him.

 

God he sounded like a middle schooler. Dolokhov was a grown man. An  _ adult _ . He had better things to be worrying about than if pretty boy Anatole Kuragin harbored the same feelings.

 

But if that were the case, then why couldn’t he shake this idea? Dolokhov was a man know to trust his gut, so he really despised having to suppress his feelings. But he was also a man who valued friendship. He highly valued the friendships and relationships consisting of intellectual verisimilitude to his own. Anatole was somewhat similar in this sense as well. That was the one of the reasons as to why their personalities worked so well together. It was why their friendship was so strong.

 

Laying in bed, Dolokhov felt his chest tighten and he rolled over.

 

He despised suppressing his feelings. Anatole Kuragin was an absolute brat. A scoundrel. A tease. But he was also charming, witty, and a pleasure to know. His aura was infectious. Anatole certainly knew how to fill a room. To fill a life even. Dolokhov couldn’t possibly imagine how his life would have been without Anatole Kuragin. He certainly would have gotten into much less trouble. But would he even be here now? Would he be lying in this bed? Would he be living in this apartment? Would he even be alive at all?

 

Dolokhov buried his face into his pillow with a groan. It was too early in the morning for these intrusive thoughts. Well, in all honesty it probably wasn’t  _ that _ early. Anatole had likely already left for work. Truthfully, it just felt early since Dolokhov hadn’t slept that well last night. After dinner, Dolokhov had retreated to his room. He needed to distance himself from Anatole for awhile. Frankly, he needed a cooldown and had decided on taking a shower. Although, he felt more dirty than clean afterwards. His mind could focus on nothing but the memory of Anatole’s breath on his ear and cheek. On the lingering touch of Anatole’s hand on his thigh. On  _ Anatole _ .

 

Not even the cool stream of water could calm Dolokhov’s slightly shaky breathing or wandering thoughts. His hand had instinctively snaked down to touch himself, to hold himself. Despite the pang of shame he’d felt for this behavior, he still thanked whatever higher power was out there for the fact that he had his own bathroom. If their apartment had had only one bathroom, with only one shower, Dolokhov would have felt twice as guilty about rubbing one out. However, his desire overpowered any bit of shame that he'd been feeling and he ultimately decided to continue. Admittedly, it wasn’t the first time he had masturbated while thinking of Anatole Kuragin, and with how things were playing out, it probably wouldn't be his last.

 

Regardless, that had been last night. He didn’t need to waste his day reliving his endeavors in the shower from the previous night. With that, Dolokhov sat up, untangling himself from the massive amount of sheets and blankets currently occupying his bed. Stretching, Dolokhov got out of bed and shuffled his way out of his bedroom, making his way into the kitchen to find something to eat. As expected, Anatole appeared to be gone. Dolokhov knew that Anatole would be working today, and it seemed that he had managed to leave the house on time. Anatole would be working at his regular job downtown today as an employee at LUSH cosmetics. The store was a bit much for Dolokhov at times however, the amount of free merchandise that Anatole got from work was rather nice. Other than that, Anatole occasionally worked minor modeling gigs. Considering his remarkable looks, it was a wonder why he didn’t get more.

 

Ultimately deciding to skip breakfast, Dolokhov reached for the coffee pot to brew himself a typical morning pick-me-up instead. He may not have to wake up as early as the typical worker, but Dolokhov still rather enjoyed the usual morning coffee. On most days, Dolokhov worked as a writer from home. He usually composed reviews and reports of all sorts for different magazines, newspapers, and blogs. Perhaps he would even like to write a novel one day although, he felt much more confident in his ability to write nonfiction works. Other than writing, he occasionally worked certain nights as a bartender. Some close friends of his family happened to own a small bar in the city where he would help out when asked or when he was in need of some extra money. It wasn’t too much of a solid job since his schedule was so fluid, but he enjoyed working there when he did.

 

As soon as the coffee was ready, Dolokhov poured some for himself and made his way over to the sofa. Settling down onto it and placing his coffee on the side table, Dolokhov reached for his laptop, which happened to be resting on the table as well. Opening it up, he hurried to check his email to discover what subject he'd be tasked with writing about today.

 

~~~

 

After some time, Dolokhov managed to finish his writing assignment (and his coffee) and emailed it off to the editor who had been asking for it. He’d been working very diligently all morning so Dolokhov thought that it was about time for a little break. Reaching for his phone, he noted that he had received a text message. Upon further inspection, the text appeared to be from Anatole.

 

“Anatole?” Dolokhov gave a short huff of confusion and slight bewilderment. What could he want? Obviously it wouldn't be that odd to get a text from his best friend however, its presence still felt a tad off. Another strange, unshakable feeling. Great. Hopefully, Anatole was alright.

 

For a second Dolokhov froze. What if he wasn’t alright? He’d already spent part of the morning pondering what his life might be like without Anatole Kuragin and he was absolutely not ready for it to becoming a reality. Without anymore hesitation, he fumbled with his phone until he was able to open the message.

 

It read:

 

_ If you can, come see me at work. I have something to tell you and I can’t wait. _

 

A small sweep of relief spread over Dolokhov at the mention that Anatole had at least made it to work. However, his heart rate began to increase after reading the remainder of the text. What was so urgent that Anatole couldn’t just wait until after work? What was so urgent that Dolokhov had to come meet him? What was so urgent that he couldn’t say it over text?

 

Dolokhov pinched the bridge of his nose in attempt to calm his racing thoughts, but was to no avail. Because what if Anatole wanted to talk about last night? What if Anatole had spent all morning hopelessly thinking of nothing but Dolokhov and was going to confess to him? Maybe Anatole had had his time for games, and was now ready for a more direct approach.

 

This thought was enough to motivate Dolokhov up from where he had been sitting, and into his room to properly get dressed. Here, was another example as to how Anatole Kuragin had Fedya Dolokhov wrapped around his finger. That bastard. Lucky for him that Dolokhov had finished work for the day.

 

After getting dressed, Dolokhov made sure to grab his phone and wallet before making his way to the front door. There, he paused. Was this what he really wanted? He’d been so close to Anatole for years, but did he  _ really _ want something more? Dolokhov had been a witness to Anatole’s charms and infatuations for ages but nothing had quite affected him like the present. And the thought of Anatole possibly realizing he wanted more too was like Cupid’s arrow hitting the bullseye of his heart.

 

Dolokhov turned away from the door so that he could glance back at the couch. He replayed his memories of the previous night, picturing himself seated with Anatole nearly on top of him. He recalled how enraptured he’d felt. How  _ ready _ he’d felt.

 

Turning back to the door, Dolokhov took his phone out of his pocket. Was this what he really wanted? Hell yeah it was. And without hesitation, he texted Anatole back with:  _ On my way _ .

  
  


~~~

 

After locking the apartment and making his way down to the street level, Dolokhov stepped out into the heat of the city. It was a gorgeous summer day, nice enough to walk all the way downtown if he wished. However, as the day went on it would only get hotter and he also wanted to get to Anatole as soon as possible. Ultimately, he decided on hailing a cab. After waiting by the road for a short while, he was able to successfully signal a driver, who zipped up to the curb so that Dolokhov could get into the vehicle.

 

Dolokhov had barely managed to clamber in and shut the door when the driver began to speed back into the flow of traffic, which caused Dolokhov to dig his nails into the seat and hold on for dear life.

 

“Where to?” barked the driver, with a strong yet gruff voice. The driver was a man with a thick, dark beard and a hint of some sort of accent to the way he spoke. He also wore an oddly shaped hat that looked far too warm to be wearing in the summer.

 

“To the downtown shopping district” Dolokhov responded as he surveyed his surroundings even further. The cab was a little worn from age, but surprisingly clean. At least, the back where he was sitting seemed clean. The most fascinating part of the car was how there were several trinkets and decorations embellishing the dashboard as well as the area where the roof and windshield met on the interior. There were things like beads and charms, but what stuck out the most to Dolokhov was a photograph of a man. The man appeared to be standing next to some kind of food cart, possibly shaved ice? He wore a Hawaiian shirt and had an enormous grin on his face that made Dolokhov feel strangely welcome. If he’d seen this man on the street selling whatever it was he was selling, he probably would have bought something from him just because of how amiable he looked. What a good business strategy. Dolokhov wondered if this man was the driver’s boyfriend.

 

“By the way, the name’s Balaga” the driver said as he sped the cab through the streets.

 

“Call me Dolokhov” Dolokhov stammered. He’d meant for it to sound better but was thrown a bit as the cab thrashed around a turn.

 

“Good name” Balaga remarked.

 

“Thanks.”

  
  


~~~

 

Once they made it to the shopping district, Dolokhov thanked Balaga, payed him, and watched him speed back on his way. True, he’d gotten him here in record time, but Dolokhov was still tempted to get down and kiss the ground to thank the lord that he survived that ride.

 

Composing himself, Dolokhov made his way down the street until he arrived at the rather large LUSH store that Anatole worked at. His heart began to beat furiously as he entered the store and was immediately bombarded by a vast array of smells. He truly wondered how Anatole could stand having his nose constantly assaulted like this. Dolokhov tried not to look insane as he weaved in and out of bath bomb displays, avoiding the excessively cheerful employees as he scanned the store for Anatole. Noticing a moderate crowd of customers gathering around a familiar voice, he finally spotted his target. Anatole appeared to be giving a bath bomb demonstration at one of the many sinks that had been set up for that exact purpose. Although, Dolokhov couldn’t tell if more people people were just watching Anatole as oppose to the demonstration that he was giving. Dolokhov didn’t blame them. He decided to stand near the back and do a little Anatole watching of his own while he waited for the demonstration to finish.

 

It was amazing how passionate and focused Anatole looked while working. His natural charisma really became apparent in moments like these. Dolokhov knew that Anatole could easily persuade at least half of this crowd to buy something before leaving. Without realizing, Dolokhov began to smile with admiration. Of course, Anatole took notice of this, as he happened to look up in this moment, finally becoming aware of Dolokhov’s presence. Anatole shot a slight smirk and a wink in return. This caused Dolokhov to stifle a laugh as he continued to watch Anatole, occasionally glancing around the store to keep his cool. He didn’t want to forget why he was here after all. He was here because Anatole had  _ asked _ him to come.

 

After the demonstration had concluded, the customers slowly began to disperse and Dolokhov watched as Anatole cleaned up the demonstration area before slowly making his way towards Dolokhov. Their eyes instantly locked. Time seemed to slow down, but Dolokhov’s heart seemed to speed up. What kind of Rom-Com bullshit was this? This crowded and overly pungent store was probably the least romantic spot in the world. So then why did this feel like the scene at the dance from  _ West Side Story _ where Tony and Maria first meet?

 

As Anatole approached, his collected smirk began to form into more of a foolish grin. Dolokhov quirked an eyebrow in confusion as Anatole finally reached him, stopping a little too close. That man had never had any concept of personal space.

 

“I’m so glad you came!” Anatole said. He grabbed slightly at Dolokhov's arm, and motioned towards a nearby door with his head. It was as if his golden hair was pointing the way. “I’m about to take my break. Come join me and I can tell you everything!”

 

Before Dolokhov could press any further, Anatole was tugging harder at his arm. It was clear that he wanted to be followed and Dolokhov was beyond ready to oblige. His heart continued to flutter as he was awkwardly pulled into the break room by the overly-giddy Anatole.

 

Once they were both inside the break room with the door shut behind them, Dolokhov thought he should be the one to break the silence.

 

“Soooo…”

 

Anatole instantly pounced on the conversation, “Oh Fedya! I can't wait any longer to tell you!”

 

Although Anatole expressed excitement, he seemed slightly on edge and Dolokhov grew concerned. “Anatole, is everything alright?”

 

“Yes. Yes of course! It’s just that…” Anatole’s words trailed off into sheepish grin and he looked away, raising an arm to rub the back of his neck. “I think...I think I’m in  _ love _ .”

 

On the word ‘love’, Anatole’s eyes met Dolokhov’s once again, sending an ‘ _ oh fuck _ ’ through Dolokhov’s brain. A single ‘ _ oh fuck _ ’ as he stared straight back into Anatole’s eyes. Dolokhov could see nothing else, Anatole’s gaze was nearly blinding to look at. Almost maddening. Especially under such anticipation. Dolokhov wasn’t quite sure how to react. He absolutely had not expected for Anatole to be  _ that _ direct right off the bat. Not that he was displeased of course, just incredibly shocked. Regardless of how shocked he was, Dolokhov knew that the only way to get anywhere, to get where  _ he  _ wanted, to get where Anatole hopefully wanted, was to play along. Although, this was proving to be difficult after recollecting the events of the previous night and attempting to imagine where his life might go from here.

 

All Dolokhov could manage was “Oh? The great Anatole Kuragin, actually in love?!”

 

As Dolokhov teased, Anatole dramatically slumped into a nearby chair and sighed. “Yes it's true! I’m quite madly in love! And…” Anatole trailed off again before locking eyes with Dolokhov once more, “I think you will be very pleased too.”

 

Once again, the phrase ‘ _ oh fuck _ ’ began flooding his mind as he could bring himself to do nothing but stare back. Dolokhov opened his mouth to speak but found himself unable to form words. True, Anatole knew him very well, and knew what he liked. But had he really picked up on this silly infatuation? This  _ crush _ . Could this really be described as love? Would Anatole describe it as love? Whatever it was, Dolokhov was ready to embrace it, seeing that he could barely stand the tension between them as Anatole was basically already fucking him with his eyes alone.

 

Before Dolokhov could stumble over his own thoughts any further, Anatole had practically leapt out of his chair and over to where Dolokhov was standing. Again, Anatole had no concept of personal space and brought his face in ridiculously close to Dolokhov’s. And then, Dolokhov felt his heart nearly stop as Anatole grabbed his hands and held them. God they were so close that Dolokhov couldn’t breath. Once again, he felt nothing but the touch of Anatole’s soft skin. Saw nothing but his glimmering and feverish eyes. Heard nothing but his mesmerizing voice. Dolokhov couldn't help but slowly lean in closer. He had really wanted Anatole to make the first move but they were  _ too _ close and the tension was almost  _ too _ much. He couldn’t back down now. There was absolutely no turning back.  _ Closer _ . He felt himself lean in closer. Anatole must have been saying something. Something about love? Dolokhov was too intoxicated by the presence of his friend that he couldn't quite think straight. He was ridiculously turned on in this dingy LUSH break room and nothing else mattered.

 

Dolokhov had nearly closed the final amount of space between them when Anatole suddenly pulled away. Not out of disgust or rejection, no, this motion seemed natural. Dolokhov had been too caught up in the moment to thoroughly acknowledge his own confusion.

 

“Oh Fedya, she was just so enchanting!” Anatole said, cupping his hands over his own heart, seemingly to keep it from leaping out of his chest.

 

Hold up.  _ She _ ? What the hell was going on? What had he missed? What was Anatole talking about? Once again, Dolokhov found himself at a loss for words, but this time it was for an  entirely different reason.

 

While Dolokhov attempted to catch up with the reality of this situation, Anatole babbled on. “She was so full of life and energy! The girlish charm present in her smile was infectious! I couldn’t stop looking at her arms and shoulders! Her skin looked so smooth that it was practically glowing! Ahh, this must be love, I’m absolutely certain!”

 

Still trying to catch up, Dolokhov responded “W-Who is this now?”

 

“Oh yes I forgot to tell you! Her name is Natasha. She came into the shop today and I haven’t stopped thinking about her since! And get this, she’s actually the Goddaughter of our very own landlady Marya. So she’s actually going to be living in our apartment building this summer.”

 

“Is that so?” uttered Dolokhov.

 

“Indeed it is! And I haven’t even told you the best part yet!” At this, Anatole chuckled a bit. “She has a friend. Well, a cousin actually. But being the  _ best _ bro that I am,  _ naturally _ I put in a good word for you. She seems very sweet as well.”

 

Dolokhov was without a doubt, screaming his head off internally. It took every last ounce of strength that he had not to say something completely uncalled for. Anatole was an absolute ass for leading him on this much, and with no pay off. Even if he’d put in a ‘good word’ with some girl for him, whatever that meant, he felt no gratitude. In all honestly, he already began to feel resentment for this girl whom he’d never met nor had any concept of her when it came to physical appearance. Dolokhov felt nothing. Just broken. Bewildered. Manipulated. 

 

But the worst feeling was unexplainable. He wanted to be mad at Anatole. He really did. But Anatole’s infectious enthusiasm and passion were so admirable that Dolokhov couldn’t bring himself to be as mad as he probably should be. Truly, it wasn’t completely Anatole’s fault. He probably didn’t intend to lead Dolokhov on so much. Today at least. Regardless of how mislead and hurt Dolokhov felt in this moment, he felt an even greater urge to see his friend filled with such joy as he seemed to be feeling now. Anatole was Dolokhov’s friend above everything else. And because of this, Dolokhov wanted to support him above everything else regardless of his stupid crush that was slowly but surely consuming him. He couldn’t help it if Anatole didn’t feel the same way. Once again, he began to worry about the possibility of ruining their friendship. God he was an idiot. His thoughts were starting to get the best of him once again and he wanted nothing more than to be as far away from here as possible with a bottle of booze in his hand.

  
Anatole interrupted Dolokhov’s thought process yet again with a heavily emphasized “ _ Oh And _ …”, Anatole looked around before playfully whispering “I may have scored the both of us a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if I should continue~ ;)
> 
> First off, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ENCOURAGING ME TO CONTINUE THIS STORY!! All of your comments meant the world to me. They are the absolute best motivators. 
> 
> Secondly, I apologize for how long it took me to actually finish this chapter. Truthfully, I had a good portion written for awhile but with the announcement of Great Comet's closure, my depression has been ridiculous. This show means so much to me as I'm sure it does to a lot of you as well so I know that many of you are experiencing the same heartbreak.
> 
> I've also been very busy with vacation and prepping for school. OH and I also was busy working on my Anatole cosplay. :) Feel free to check out pics of my cosplay/ give it some love on my tumblr (Charlesleesbutt) or my Instagram (PrincetteKillian). FEEL FREE to follow me on those and send me asks/messages whenever!! I GREATLY appreciate all the love that I am shown. <33
> 
> A final big thanks again to all my readers/ supporters!! <33 I'm just so in awe of all the nice things that people said about my story both on here and on tumblr. Please let me know if you'd like me to continue!! Like I said, your comments are the best motivators. I came back and reread them many times just to put a smile on my face.


	3. Chapter 3

“And that's basically what happened.”

 

“Wow…”

 

“I know.”

 

“So what did you say to him?”

 

Dolokhov paused to look around the room, making sure that no one else happened to be within earshot. After his conversation with Anatole, Dolokhov found himself in a small bookstore. As much as he had wanted a drink after the whole ordeal, he’d found himself on his way to speak to a friend instead. Lucky for him the bookstore that Pierre Bezukhov, his close friend and frequent drinking buddy, worked at wasn’t too far away. Thus, Dolokhov had decided that having a good rant might clear his head. 

 

He’d been keeping so much to himself lately that it was such a relief to talk freely in front of someone. Admittedly, Dolokhov felt a little guilty since he knew that Pierre had his own demons to deal with. However, he knew that Pierre wouldn’t actually mind. The man was a great listener and surely enjoyed what little company he could get; working at a small bookstore in a lesser populated area of the city could probably get quite lonely. In fact, this bookstore was actually near the bar that Dolokhov occasionally worked at which, tended to draw in a larger crowd than the tiny bookstore for obvious reasons. Although, Pierre and Dolokhov had once bonded over the fact that they were both equally excited to see bars as they were bookstores.

 

“Well...you know, I just kinda...went along with it.” Dolokhov said, giving a slight shrug.

 

“Even after all that he did to you!? The way he treated you!?”

 

“No! Well, I mean yes! It’s just that...UGH I don’t now. I was just frozen in the moment. It’s not like he really knew that he was doing anything wrong. Plus he’s my  _ best _ friend. I can’t stand the thought of letting him down.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“And don’t act like you wouldn’t have done the same thing in order to avoid the awkward situation, because we live in the same goddamn apartment and the last thing I want is to feel uncomfortable in my own home.”

 

“You got me there. I was going to suggest that you should just say screw it and confess to him but maybe you're right.”

 

Dolokhov let out a sigh, “And now I get to have the pleasure of watching him make goo goo eyes and throw kisses at some random girl over dinner tonight.”

 

“Wait, the date is  _ tonight _ !?” Pierre said, slightly shocked.

 

“Yep. Which leaves me with almost no time to properly compose myself.”

 

“I can see why you chose coming to see me over the bar then.”

 

Dolokhov chuckled a bit, “I don’t trust myself around booze at the moment. Plus, I’m pretty sure I’m gonna need to have more than few drinks to get me through things tonight. Might as well wait.”

 

“Who knows, maybe you’ll end up having fun? Maybe you’ll discover that you like this girl even more than you like Anatole? That is, if you like girls…”

 

“I like girls just fine. A lot actually. But it’s not that. It’s just that...I think I’ve been in love with Anatole longer than I want to admit to myself. I can’t even begin to describe how much I wanted him today. How much I wanted him last night. Hell, he’s not even here and I want him now! I’m just so goddamn ready Pierre. This feeling is nearly eating me alive. And there's nothing I can do.”

 

Pierre gave Dolokhov a slight pat on the back, “Dolokhov, I know what it’s like to feel useless. I know what it’s like thinking that you’ll never find happiness. But sometimes you just have to look at the situation logically.”

 

“What do you mean?” Dolokhov asked.

 

“Well, this  _ certainly _ isn’t the first time that Anatole has desired someone. I think  _ you  _ of all people should understand how he is.”

 

Dolokhov blinked. Pierre was right. Why had he been so worried about this particular case? It was likely because he himself was only recently discovering his own feeling towards Anatole and thus, became a little more defensive than usual. But it was just that Anatole had made such a big deal out of the situation already. He just seemed so damn happy. Could people really fall in love so fast? Anatole had already asked this girl out on a date, so what had exactly happened between them in their assumably brief encounter at LUSH?

 

Dolokhov stroked his beard, he was really overthinking things. Again, what Pierre had said was right; Anatole had desired numerous people over the years. Dolokhov just needed to relax and hope for the best. It felt wrong, but he couldn’t help but wish things wouldn’t work out between Anatole and this new girl. Or between himself and the girl that Anatole had intended for him. At least  _ that _ he could make sure of. Dolokhov felt wrong plotting to sabotage Anatole’s date. If this was truly how his friend was meant to be happy, then it wasn’t his place to intrude. Even if he would regret it. Even if he would suffer. Even if he himself would never find true happiness. 

 

But on the other hand, he had no problem with sabotaging his own date. Of course he wouldn’t harm the girl or anything just to scare her off. He’d probably just try to act as dull as possible without being too obvious; deception was an artform which required precise skill. If he were to brush off everything that she said, Anatole might realize something was up. However, if Dolokhov were to act even a little too enthused at some point, the girl might take interest in him. Why did everything always have to be so complicated?

 

Dolokhov still felt slightly bad about being so prejudiced towards someone he had never even met. But who could really blame him? The past 24 hours had been a hellish roller coaster of emotions and with the date tonight, he had the feeling that he wouldn’t be getting off this ride anytime soon. He knew he wasn’t really in the mood for hooking up with some random girl right now. Hopefully she wouldn’t expect anything of him. Lord knows what Anatole expected of his own date.

 

Whatever was expected, there was no way he could really know ahead of time. There really wasn’t any planning that he should expect himself to do. At this point, it was probably best just to say ‘ _ fuck it _ ’ and show up to the date. Whatever unforeseen consequences were in his future, it was probably wise to just face them head on and hope for the best.

 

Realizing that he had spent a ridiculous amount of time in silent contemplation, as he tended to do, Dolokhov turned back to face Pierre once again.

 

“You know Pierre, you’re absolutely right.”

 

“Well that's a relief. I’m usually pretty rotten at giving decent life advice.”

 

Dolokhov slightly chuckled, “No you’re not. Most people just don’t know how to properly listen. The world would be a much better place if more people truly listened to the great Pierre Bezukhov!”

 

At this Pierre snorted and bashfully averted his gaze down to his feet. “ I don’t know about ‘great’, but I’m certainly glad that someone is willing to listen to my ramblings.”

 

“Likewise” Dolokhov replied, as he distanced himself from Pierre and made his way towards the door. “I’m glad that I came to see you today my friend, but it’s probably about time I should be going. Wouldn’t want to miss my date, you know.”

 

“Yes, of course. I should probably get back to working anyways. Not that I was expecting too many customers or anything. But Fedya, I do wish you luck tonight.”

 

“Thanks, I’m sure I’ll need it”

 

Dolokhov offered his friend one last warm smile and a wave before exiting the store and venturing out into the heat of the city once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear readers, I apologize for taking such a long time to write such a short and uneventful chapter. But I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless!! I really enjoy writing Dolokhov's internal monologues.
> 
> BUT AHHHH OH GOSH, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF YOU WHO LEAVE SUCH LOVELY COMMENTS ON THIS STORY. You're my biggest inspirations!! I've even started writing a few other DAnatole fics that I hope to share with you all sometime soon. I don't really have any friends irl who like Great Comet so I feel much less lonely being able to share my love for this show through fics on here. <33
> 
> ALSO I don't know how to link accounts/ tag people on here or anything but special shout out to "Honey" who commented on the last chapter and told me that they reread my fic even though I hadn't finished it/updated in forever!! You made me ridiculously happy when I read your comment. :)
> 
> AND LASTLY, as always feel free to hmu on my main/cosplay Instagram (Princettekillian), my Tumblr (Charlesleesbutt), my Comet/Theater Instagram (irlAnatole), or even my art Instagram (killiansartaccount). Bug me until I update my fic lol. Or just chat with me about theater, cosplay, and video games!!
> 
> Thanks for all your support!!!! <3333

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading!! I just really love Anatole/Dolokhov my dudes. ;u; Should I continue this story though?? I have a few ideas in mind. Any comments would mean the world to me!! <33
> 
> I also apologize that this is maybe kinda like my JeffMads fic?? I haven't read it since I posted it but I think it was kinda similar idk I like stories like this I guess. I might change the title too. I'm just really digging pining! Dolokhov rn so let me know if you want to see more of that.


End file.
